


On Sharing Sorrow

by sacredraisincakes



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Episode: s05e04 Another's Sorrow, Gen, Kidnapping, Mild Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-10 23:57:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12310584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sacredraisincakes/pseuds/sacredraisincakes
Summary: In which Merlin can't let things go, and neither can Mithian.





	On Sharing Sorrow

**Author's Note:**

> This almost didn't get posted at all thanks to a weekend without internet, but here it finally is! I had probably six different ideas for this, all of which were far too long to accomplish in the time I had, so here is the most doable one. Maybe in the future the others will be inspired to come to be. Thanks to the mods for running this fest and inspiring new plots to the episodes that everyone always secretly wanted to see.

 

One of these days, Arthur was going to become immune to the word “please,” particularly when it came out of Merlin's mouth. As he glanced over at Mithian walking beside him, he shook his head ruefully to himself.

 

Today was not that day.

 

Mithian had been hesitant to join him for a walk when he'd asked it of her and for a moment Arthur wondered if she might refuse. He couldn't think of a reason why she would. Sure, Merlin thought she was acting strangely, but it was no different than any noble who'd seen their home wrested from their hands without warning. Arthur would know; it had happened often enough to him. In those moments, he relied on Merlin, unwelcome as his help may be at the time, to remind him all hope was not lost. Just as Mithian had her maid Hilda. But with Hilda falling ill the night before, perhaps she was not able to give her princess the amount of support she needed.

 

It had been Merlin who begged him to take this little stroll with Mithian now. “ _Please, just talk to her. Alone, without knights or servants or anyone she might feel she has to bite her tongue around.  I think it'd make her feel better.”_

 

And Merlin had looked so damn earnest and Mithian so miserable that Arthur had given in.

 

“You know you may stay in Camelot for however long it takes to regain your kingdom and restore its glory,” Arthur assured her, taking over the role of supporter himself. “And we _will_ regain it, I promise you.”

 

Mithian didn't smile, or indeed appear in any way grateful. Instead she turned guilty eyes on him. “I'm so sorry for forcing you into this.”

 

Arthur halted her stride with a hand on her arm. “My lady, you could never force me into anything. We are friends. Your troubles are mine.”

 

Mithian but her lip, glancing nervously around before whispering, “Arthur, I-”

 

There was a shout from the direction of the camp.  Arthur shot Mithian an apologetic glance before sprinting back through the trees. His men all had their swords drawn, but their apparent foe was nowhere in sight. Gaius was tucked protectively behind Percival, clutching a hand to his chest, his face distraught.

 

“What happened?”

 

The knights turned as one, swords still raised. Their target now was more clear, though the reason why was not.

 

“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded, taking a step in front of a trembling Mithian. “Put those down immediately!”

 

The knights did not obey the order, but Leon answered, “Sire, her maid just abducted Merlin.”

 

“Abducted?” Arthur scoffed. “I know Merlin is a fragile flower at the best of times, but even he could defend himself against an _old woman._ ”

 

Though the fact did remain that neither of them were present in the camp.

 

“I'm so sorry,” Mithian sobbed, causing Arthur to turn to face her. “This is all my fault!  She warned me what would happen, but I just couldn't do let you do this, not for me.  And now Merlin's gone!”

 

“What are you talking about?” Arthur did his best to keep his voice soothing, though his pulse was starting to quicken. “She who?”

 

“She wasn't my maid; she was Morgana!” The story tumbled from her lips, the capture of the royal family, the threats to her father's life, her attempts to tell Merlin anyway.

 

“Merlin was sure something was wrong beyond worry for her highness’s father,” Gaius cut in, coming to wrap a comforting arm around the distressed girl’s waist.  “And last night, when I examined Hilda, I could tell something was off, but neither of us could have imagined this.”

 

“If she hurts him I'll never forgive myself.”

 

“This isn't your fault, Mithian.” Your father was at stake. Anyone would have done the same.”  Mithian looked unconvinced, but nodded reluctantly. “Do you feel well enough to continue leading us to the place they’re keeping Rodor?”

 

“Sire, surely now that we know this is a trap you can't be considering-”

 

Arthur cut the protest off. “It doesn't matter, Leon. We cannot just abandon them, either of them. At least now we know what we're up against.”

 

* * *

  


Merlin’s head had apparently been cracked open without his knowledge.

 

“Easy, boy.  Take it slowly now.”

 

Merlin's vision swam in front of him, the soft light from the torch felt like daggers to his aching head.  He was sagged against a damp stone wall, and an older man he didn't know knelt beside him, holding a cup of water to his mouth. Merlin tried to reach out and take it, but his hands were chained tightly above his head. He took a sip but dared not drink more. His roiling stomach would just make a waste of it.

 

“What happened?” he mumbled.

 

“I don't know,” the man admitted with a grimace. “You were dragged in here by Odin’s men not too long ago.  What did you do to anger them?”

 

“Odin’s… Morgana!”  Awareness came back to him in a flash, and he jerked him upright, ignoring the stab of pain throughout his body. “Where's Morgana?”

 

The man -King Rodor, it had to be- grabbed him roughly by the arm, eyes widening in alarm. “Morgana is with my daughter. Mithian, have you seen her?  Is she safe?”

 

“I think so.” Details of the moments before his world went dark started to come back to him. Begging Arthur to talk to Mithian alone. Blocking Hilda from following. Morgana dropping her façade and attacking full force.  She'd been too quick; the knights hadn't been able to stop her. In the fading moments of his consciousness there'd been a whirlwind of leaves and then he'd woken up here. “She was with Ar- King Arthur.  He won't let anything happen to her.”

 

Rodor sagged in relief. “Such a cowardly way to stab a man in the back. I will not blame Camelot if they never forgive us.”

 

“Sire?”

 

“Lady Morgana and Odin overwhelmed our forces so easily. We have no defences against magic, particularly not as powerful as hers. I thought that would be the end of it, but we were merely pawns. Arthur was always the real prize. They told my daughter they would kill me if she did not bring him back to them.”

 

“And she was being such an obedient child until certain naughty influences swayed her.” Morgana swept into the room, stopping in front of the cell bars, her old woman's disguise cast off entirely. She looked far healthier now that her strength wasn't being poured into the enchantment. “Merlin, so kind of you to join us. I take it you two have been getting acquainted?”

 

“Let the boy go, Morgana,” Rodor appealed on his behalf. “He has nothing to do with this.”

 

Morgana smirked. “On the contrary, Merlin has more to do with this than even you do. In fact,” she waved a hand and the cell door swung open.” You may go.”

 

Rodor didn't move. Merlin let himself lean back against the wall again. He was going to need to save his energy for whatever was to come. There was no way Morgana’s offer of freedom would lead to anything good.

 

“Has Merlin not shared who he is yet?” Morgana asked, all feigned innocence. “I'm not surprised; he always was one for secrets. Your new friend here is none other than the _personal_ servant of Arthur Pendragon.  Arthur may still feel enough pity for your snivelling daughter to make an attempt at rescuing you, but he'll stop at nothing to get back his little catamite.”

 

Merlin didn't rise to the insult. His relationship with Arthur -or lack thereof as he would never hurt Gwen like that- was their own business. “And I'll stop at nothing to stop you and get back to him.”

 

“Poor naïve Merlin. You won't be going back to him. When Arthur arrives, Odin will have his revenge for the death of his son. And then you and I will have a chance to work through some our own… _issues.”_

 

He couldn't fight back a hard swallow at the look of manic glee on her face. He'd been Morgana’s prisoner once before, and he knew that lengths she was willing to go to punish him for his betrayal of her. Nothing could be worse than being forced to kill his best friend, but that wouldn't stop Morgana from trying to get close.

 

“So you may go if you wish, Rodor. I no longer have need of you.”

 

Rodor looked down at him, conflict clear on his face. Merlin nodded, not that the king needed his permission. It was better for Rodor to go. It was one less person to worry about in his own efforts to escape. And besides, Merlin could be freer to use his magic the fewer people who were around.  

 

“We will come back for you,” he promised in a whisper. Merlin smiled weakly at him. It was clear where Mithian got her kindness from.

 

Morgana signalled for the guards to lead Rodor away. Merlin could only hope it wasn't some kind of trick.

 

“As for you…” Morgana advanced on him, eyes flashing golden.  Merlin grit his teeth against the growing pain throughout his body. “It's been three years since we've gotten to spend any real quality time together. Let's make up for that now, shall we?”  


* * *

 

 

“Arthur, I'm so sorry about this.”

 

Though he felt no ill will against her -the princess really had had no choice in her actions- Arthur couldn't bring himself to forgive Mithian again. He needed to focus on their plan, hastily drawn up once Mithian gave them an estimate of Odin’s forces. The biggest unknown in the equation was unfortunately the biggest endgame as well. They had no way to tell if Rodor and Merlin were even being held here, or if this was purely an ambush site.

 

But they had nothing else to go on. They would leave a backup contingency of knights outside to head to the capital if everything went to hell here today. If that was the case Arthur didn't hold out much hope of leaving the burial chamber alive. Odin wanted him dead, and he wasn't the sort to play with his prey first.

 

Morgana, on the other hand, was. That was his greatest fear for Merlin. He was sure they'd find him alive, but in what state… Arthur shuddered, then squared his shoulders. Merlin would be fine. He had to be.

 

Gwaine and Leon returned from their scout. “Plenty of cretins lurking about by the front entrance, but no one at the tunnel you mentioned, my lady,” Gwaine reported with a nod to Mithian.

 

“Good. You'll go through that way then.”  It chafed on Arthur that he couldn't join them, but they had all agreed he shouldn't. Instead he and Mithian, along with three of Arthur's knights, would enter through the front as planned.  It would look suspicious if they didn't, though Arthur had scoffed that the cat was rather out of the bag at this point. At the very least, however, it would draw attention away from Gwaine and Percival, who would enter through the abandoned tunnel Mithian remembered from her childhood to search for Rodor and Merlin.

 

A noise from his left caught their attention. As quietly as they could the men drew their swords. Mithian lifted one she'd found amongst Merlin's things, and in any other circumstance Arthur would have been amused by the idea that she was probably far more competent with it than his servant.  A man stumbled through the brush, hands raised.

 

“Father!”  Mithian dropped her sword with a clatter and rushed forward to fling her arms around King Rodor. Gaius moved to help the exhausted man ease down onto a fallen log, his daughter wrapped around him.  “What happened?  Are you okay?  How did you escape?”

 

“I didn't,” Rodor hugged Mithian tightly, ignoring the brush of her fingers over the bruise on his cheeks in favour of his own search for injuries on her person. “They let me go.”

 

“Let you go?”

 

Arthur's incredulous question drew Rodor’s attention, and the other king looked at him with something too close to pity for Arthur's liking. “Yes. She said she didn't need me now that she had your servant to draw you in.”

 

Arthur did his best not to flinch, grateful any reaction he couldn't suppress was covered by Mithian’s guilty sob.

 

“It's not your fault, Mithian,” he repeated once more. Damn, but Morgana was right. It didn't matter to him if Odin gave back the entire kingdom; he had to get to Merlin.  “Is Merlin here then?”

 

Rodor nodded with a frown. “I'm not sure how much longer, however. They didn't seem all that concerned about shuffling me away from here. Simply kicked me out the entrance and went back inside.”

 

“Probably figured with no way to get back but on foot you'd be picked off before you made it back to the capital.  Sire,” Gwaine added when Arthur shot him a glare.

 

But Rodor seemed to take Gwaine’s suggestion seriously. “Morgana is in charge, but it's Odin’s men providing the muscle. They'll obey her only as long as Odin plays along with her schemes. Once he's killed you, Arthur, I doubt he has any interest in sticking around Nemeth, beyond emptying our coffers.”

 

“Well then I guess it's time we let him try.”  Arthur squared his shoulders and signalled to the men to prepare to move out. “Mithian, there's no point to you accompanying us any longer. Take your father and Gaius and meet us at the rendezvous point.”

 

“Arthur-”

 

“Please, my lady. I don't need to be worried about you unnecessarily.”

 

Mithian extracted herself from her father's arms. “You're right, it would be unnecessary. So I suggest you save yourself the energy, because I'm coming.” She picked up Merlin's sword from the dirt, picking off a few clinging leaves.

 

“I will come as well,” Rodor insisted, rising to his feet with more steadiness than he currently looked capable of.

 

Arthur turned to Gaius, feeling the whole situation quickly spinning out of his control. “Merlin may need me, sire,” he pointed out quietly.

 

Arthur didn't want to admit he might be right.

 

“Fine. Here's the new plan then.”

 

* * *

  


Merlin spat out a mouthful of blood. The ache in his jaw brought back Arthur's words of not too long ago. “ _Here I am: two arms, two legs, my own teeth_.”  Distantly Merlin hoped he still qualified under that as well.  Not that he wouldn't mind cutting off all his limbs right now in an effort to make them stop sending fiery lances of pain through his body.

 

Morgana had started it off, delighting in making his body writhe in and contort as lightning coursed through his veins. When it looked like he might blackout from pain, she brought in the guards to “wake him up a bit, if you please? We're not quite done here yet.”

 

She hadn't yet come back since the two hulking men left, having drifted away when she apparently grew bored with his fading screams, and Merlin wasn't sure whether to be grateful or not. It kept her away from him to be sure, but it could mean that Arthur was near, and he couldn't let her get anywhere near Arthur.

 

He couldn't bring himself to mumble the words, but luckily his magic knew what he wanted, releasing the bonds around his wrists and allowing him to drop towards the floor. Merlin allowed himself a moment to just lay there, his body fully on board with letting him die, if only for a minute or two.  Only the sound of a clank in the distance got him to struggle to his feet. He nearly collapsed again, legs unwilling to support his weight, but a plea to his magic kept him upright. Now it just needed to hold out long enough to get him- and everyone else- out of here.

 

Against every self-preservation instinct he had -and sadly, there weren't many of those left- he dragged himself in the direction of the noise. Odin’s men blocked off several of the tunnels, forcing him to backtrack and find another way around, but it quickly became clear they were cutting off a specific room.  A room that held-

 

“If you kill me, you'll have all of Camelot to answer to.”

 

 _And me_.

 

Merlin crept as close as he could to the only entrance that wasn't completely blocked off. He was on his knees in front of Odin. Mithian and Rodor were there as well, swords raised, along with several of the knights. They were in a standoff with Odin's men, none of them willing to give quarter.  It would be a bloody fight if they were to continue, and it wouldn't end there, particularly if any of the royals in the room were killed.

 

By some chance of fate, Mithian glance over and caught his eye. Her breath caught slightly, but otherwise she gave no indication that he was there.

 

“Morgana?” Merlin mouthed. He didn't see the witch from this angle, but that didn't mean anything. Mithian nodded almost imperceptibly.

 

Merlin had to get them out of there. He felt his eyes begin to burn as pulled up the last dregs of his magic, including the bit that was keeping him on his feet. He barely noticed his legs collapsing under him as he slammed his palm into the ground with all the force he could muster.

 

As the tomb began to shake, his world went dark.

 

* * *

  


“Merlin?”  A warm hand palmed his cheek. “Wake up, love. Come on; time to get up lazy daisy.”

 

Merlin stirred, moaning weakly as his eyes fluttered open. He smiled at the sight of Arthur. “Hi.”

 

“Hello,” Arthur chuckled shakily, relief evident on his face. “How are you feeling?”

 

Merlin blinked wearily and flicked a glance around their surroundings. They were in the middle of the woods.  Not in a cave. Not besieged by armed men. Excepting the few Camelot knights who stood around a campfire, laughing in a way Merlin would not expect were they prisoners.  But maybe if they were all dead.

 

“Um,” is all he managed.

 

“Sire, I thought I told you not to badger the poor boy.”  Gaius -politely- nudged his king aside to examine Merlin. “Well, my boy?  How _do_ you feel?”

 

Merlin bit back a groan as an ache shot through his ribs. Okay, probably not dead. “A bit like a cave fell on me.”

 

Arthur blanched. “Don't- don’t joke about that. If Gwaine and Percival hadn't been searching the tunnels for you…”

 

He let Arthur and the others fill him in on what had happened while he was unconscious. Arthur and the monarchs being chased down by Odin after the earthquake. Arthur making peace, a tentative, tense peace but peace none the less, with Odin after all these years. Gwaine and Percival following Merlin's trail of blood to find him knocked out under a pile of rubble.

 

Merlin in turn told his own -edited- tale. He couldn't hide all of the torture Morgana and her cronies had put him through, but he toned it down for Arthur's sake. He looked ready to break the treaty already and demand blood for each of Merlin's wounds. Nor could he tell any of them how he'd truly escaped. Instead he came up with an excuse of Odin's men taking him to the chamber to present him to Arthur, only to be thwarted by the quake.

 

They all nodded grimly in belief. All except Gaius, whom Merlin would tell the whole story to later, when they were alone and he was up to it.

 

And Mithian, who was staring at him like all her nightmares had suddenly come true.

 

* * *

  


Merlin waited for the confrontation all day as he floated in and out of consciousness, but it never came. He was carried on a litter for the trip back to Camelot, neither Arthur nor Gaius willing to risk him puncturing a lung from sitting astride a horse. He was carried straight to his own room in Gaius’s chambers, not the dungeon. No one stood to guard his door.

 

It wasn't until he woke up late the next morning that he found Mithian sitting in a chair beside his bed.

 

“Arthur and my father are meeting with the council to discuss the treaty with Odin,” she informed him with an unreadable face. “I told Gaius I would stay with you until he gets back.”

 

 _There's no one here to defend you_ , Merlin took it as. “That was kind of you.”

 

“You told them the guards were bringing you when the earthquake started.  But you were alone.”  Merlin opened his mouth to spin another tale, but Mithian got there first, eyes turning stern. “You didn't have the strength to fight them off, particularly not to the point they wouldn't be able to follow you. You escaped without them knowing.”

 

“I got lucky,” Merlin mumbled, picking at the sheets, not daring look at her directly. “Arthur would never believe I could escape without him.” He flashed her a smile. “I had to protect his ego.”

 

“You started the earthquake.”

 

Merlin's eyes snapped to hers. There was no malice in them, no fear. Nothing he could immediately recognise. “I didn't.”

 

“You did. I saw you. You’re a sorcerer.”

 

Merlin's blood ran cold. He was too weak to run, too weak to even fight her off if Mithian tried to stop him. He could never use his magic against her.  Maybe she'd wait to fetch the guard until Gaius returned, and then Gaius could help him-

 

“Merlin!  Merlin, please, just breathe!”

 

Mithian took his hand in hers, talking to him soothingly until the panic attack subsided. “I'm sorry, Merlin. I shouldn't have done it that way. I just couldn't be sure- no, of course I'm sure. Magic isn't even illegal in Nemeth, but even that doesn't matter, it's just that you were lying to everyone all this time, and I didn't- no. You saved our lives. Thank you.”

 

Merlin gaped at her. She was… _thanking him_?

 

“You saved me even before that, too. Sending me away with Arthur.” Mithian hung her head, eyes glistening. “I shouldn't have gone. I knew Morgana wouldn't be happy about it. But I thought she'd punish _me_ , not you. I'm so sorry, Merlin. It's my fault you were hurt.”

 

“It's not.” Merlin squeezed her hand, then brushed gentle fingers over the rope burns on Mithian’s wrist. “Come on, we need to treat these.”

 

Mithian pulled away. “I- I lied to you before. This isn't from being bound.”

 

Merlin had guessed there was something more to the story. It had seemed too strange that such a huge part of Mithian’s flight from Nemeth had been overlooked. He fetched salves from his night table, kept there for the times when he needed to hide an injury even from Gaius.

 

“Morgana, she placed this bracelet on me. If I disobeyed her, she could turn it red hot, like it was left upon coals.”

 

“May I?”  Merlin carefully pulled her hand into his lap, sliding up the sleeve until he held the cursed bangle. There were a few runes on it he didn't recognise, but he guessed were to hold the enchantment in place longer. “Has she used it since the cave?”

 

Mithian shook her head. “I don't know if it's because she's dead or the distance or if she forgot. I was so sure she'd use it to kill me when she thought I was telling Arthur.”

 

Merlin ran a thumb over the runes, feeling the dark magic like a whisper through his veins.  “I think I can get it off.  Will you let me?”

 

Mithian looked a little startled, but she didn't pull away. Instead she nodded.  Merlin wrapped his hands around the bracelet.  With a few whispered words, he felt his magic wind around the dark curse, and the metal cracked under his fingers.

 

Mithian didn't take her gaze off his eyes the entire time.

 

“I am in your debt once more, Merlin.  One day soon, I hope I will be able to repay it.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Are you sure you don't want a knight or two to help with the rebuilding?”

 

Rodor smiled, but shook his head. “We've taken far too much from you already. It will be good for my people's morale to do this on own.”

 

Arthur clasped the other king’s hand in a brotherly farewell. He understood exactly. The talks had lasted nearly a full week between the three kingdoms, but finally there was an official truce between them all, Arthur, Rodor, and Odin. There would be no foreign soldiers left in Nemeth when Rodor and Mithian returned.

 

And there would be no more attempts on Arthur's life in an act of pointless revenge.

 

Mithian nudged her father gently.  He looked down at her, then cleared his throat. “Ah yes, there was one other matter. During the fighting, our court physician was killed. As thanks for his bravery and in acknowledgment of the learning he has done under your own physician, we would like to extend the position to Merlin.”

 

Merlin's jaw dropped open beside him, and Arthur nearly did the same before he managed to stop himself. “I'm sorry?”

 

“We’d like you to come with us, Merlin,” Mithian repeated with a soft smile. “You could have a good life in Nemeth.”

 

 _He has a good life here!_ Arthur wanted to snap. How dare they try to steal his servant right from under him like this!  Arthur couldn't even say no, not without seeming like he wanted to keep Merlin from bettering himself.

 

“Sire, might I have a minute to speak to them about this?” Merlin murmured.   He wouldn't meet Arthur's eyes.

 

Arthur's heart sank. He was going to take it. Merlin was going to leave Camelot, without a backwards glance. After nearly ten years together… He nodded briskly, walking out of the throne room.

 

He couldn't make himself go far, leaning his ear against the door in a supremely unkingly fashion.

 

“I'm honoured by the offer, your highnesses, really I am.”

 

“You'd be safe in Nemeth, Merlin. You wouldn't have to hide anymore.”

 

_Hide from what?_

 

“Thank you. I appreciate that more than you know. But… I can't leave Camelot. Arthur needs me.”

 

“Will you ever tell him?” Arthur almost missed Mithian's soft question.

 

“One day. Soon I hope, but one day. In the meantime I have to stay. To protect him.”

 

Arthur leaned away from the door, something heavy but comfortable settling in his chest. _And I'll protect you, Merlin. Whatever it takes._


End file.
